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industrial push left little for civil life, and economies and

governments were shattered all over Europe. Forced drafts of men, food

shortages, attacks on civilian populations, and hysteria reached

heights never before seen.

It is during this final period that the last few chapters of All

Quiet occur.

By late 1917 Germany had won the war in the East. In March 1918,

Russia signed the harsh treaty of Brest-Litovsk, giving Germany huge

chunks of its territory. Russia's withdrawal enabled Germany to

transfer forces from the East and to mount a supreme effort to capture

Paris. But by this time the United States was entering the war, and

timing was essential to the German plan: the offensive had to

succeed before American troops could reach the Western Front in

sizable numbers. Ludendorff, the German leader who directed the

operation, was prepared to lose one minion men to win. He poured his

efforts onto the British sector. The situation became so desperate

that the Allies stopped arguing among themselves and established a

unified command under Marshal Ferdinand Foch. Nevertheless, at its

height the German offensive came within 40 miles of Paris. Then in May

1918 American divisions poured in, and the Allies fought back

furiously. In July they broke through the new German lines and swept

the Central Powers back toward the pre-1914 frontiers.

In the fall of 1918, German allies began to surrender- in

September the Bulgarians, in October the Turks. One by one, ethnic

minorities within Austria-Hungary began to proclaim independence,

and on November 3 the Austrians capitulated. Germans were demoralized,

and mutinies broke out in German fleets. There were revolts among

civilians in Kiel and Hamburg. In early November the German king or

emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm, fled to Holland. Finally, on November 11,

1918, a German delegation appeared at Allied headquarters to request

an armistice.

Overall, the war was fought at tremendous cost. Most tragic was

the loss in lives. Known dead included 1.8 million German soldiers and

more than one million men each from Russia, France, Austria-Hungary,

the United Kingdom, and Italy. Even the U.S., latecomer to the war,

lost more than 100,000 men. Actual fatalities have been estimated as

high as 13 million. In addition, nearly 22 million men were wounded, 7

million of them permanently disabled or mutilated. More than 9 million

civilians were also killed.

The world of 1919 was stunned and uncertain. Ten years later the

mood still lingered. People wanted to understand what had happened but

could not. It is in that atmosphere that Remarque's All Quiet on the

Western Front appeared.

THEMES

THEMES (RALLTHEM)

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In the short note that comes just before Chapter 1, Remarque lets us

know exactly what theme he intends. He says that All Quiet on the

Western Front is the story of a generation of young men who were

destroyed by World War I- even if they survived the shelling. To

arrive at a fifth statement of this main theme, Remarque weaves

several related themes into the story. The outline that follows points

out chapters you can read to see how he presents each idea.

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1. THE HORROR OF WAR

Remarque includes discussions among Paul's group, and Paul's own

thoughts while he observes Russian prisoners of war (Chapters 3, 8, 9)

to show that no ordinary people benefit from a war. No matter what

side a man is on, he is killing other men just like himself, people

with whom he might even be friends at another time.

But Remarque doesn't just tell us war is horrible. He also shows

us that war is terrible beyond anything we could imagine. All our

senses are assaulted: we see newly dead soldiers and long-dead corpses

tossed up together in a cemetery (Chapter 4); we hear the unearthly

screaming of the wounded horses (Chapter 4); we see and smell three

layers of bodies, swelling up and belching gases, dumped into a huge

shell hole (Chapter 6); and we can almost touch the naked bodies

hanging in trees and the limbs lying around the battlefield (Chapter

9).

The crying of the horses is especially terrible. Horses have nothing

to do with making war. Their bodies gleam beautifully as they parade

along- until the shells strike them. To Paul, their dying cries

represent all of nature accusing Man, the great destroyer.

In later chapters Paul no longer mentions nature as an accuser but

seems to suggest that nature is simply there- rolling steadily on

through the seasons, paying no attention to the desperate cruelties of

men to each other. This, too, shows the horror of war, that it is

completely unnatural and has no place in the larger scheme of things.

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2. A REJECTION OF TRADITIONAL VALUES

In his introductory note Remarque said that his novel was not an

accusation. But we have seen that it is, in many places, exactly that.

This accusation- or rejection of traditional militaristic values of

Western civilization- is impressed on the reader through the young

soldiers, represented by Paul and his friends, who see military

attitudes as stupid and who accuse their elders of betraying them.

In an early chapter Paul admits that endless drilling and sheer

harassment did help toughen his group and turn them into soldiers. But

he points out, often, how stupid it is to stick to regulations at

the front- how insane this basic military attitude becomes in

life-and-death situations. One such scene occurs in Chapter 1 when

Ginger, the cook, doesn't want to let 80 men eat the food prepared for

150, no matter how hungry they are. Another occurs in Chapter 7 when

Paul is walking around in his hometown and a major forces him to march

double time and salute properly- a ridiculous display, considering

what he has just been through at the front. The emptiness of all

this spit and polish shows up again in Chapter 9 when the men have

to return the new clothes they were issued for the Kaiser's

inspection: rags are what's real at the front.

The betrayal of the young by their elders becomes an issue on

several occasions. In the first two chapters of the book we learn

how misguided Paul was by the teachings of parents and

schoolmasters. We also see how older people cling to the Prussian myth

of the glory of military might when Paul goes home on leave in Chapter

7. The Kaiser's visit in Chapter 9 adds some hints of Remarque's

specific disillusionment with the leaders of his own country. From a

broad study of literature and world history, we can see that these

older people were not individually to blame for their views. They were

simply handing on what was handed on to them. Still, we can also

understand why Paul and his friends are so bitterly disappointed and

so angry to discover that their elders were wrong. Most readers feel a

little sad that young men should consider the act of ridiculing adults

their greatest goal in life, but we can also understand why they

take revenge on Himmelstoss and Kantorek (Chapters 3 and 7). We even

get a certain kick out of what they do, understanding their need to

take out their disappointment on someone they know. These situations

are, in miniature, an acting out of the bitter anger and

disillusionment Paul feels when he says in Chapter 10, "It must all be

lies and of no account when the culture of a thousand years could

not prevent this stream of blood being poured out."

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3. FRIENDSHIP: THE ONLY ENDURING VALUE

The theme of comradeship occurs often and gives the novel both

lighthearted and sad moments. In Chapter 5 it's easy to overlook how

the farmer felt about having his property stolen and to chuckle

aloud when Paul is struggling to capture the goose! We appreciate

the circle of warmth that encloses him and Kat that night as they

slowly cook and eat the goose, and then extend their warm circle by

sharing the leftovers with Kropp and Tjaden. In Chapter 10 we enjoy

their sharing of the pancakes and roast pig and fine club chairs at

the supply dump, and we understand why Paul fakes a high temperature

to go to the same hospital as Albert Kropp.

Friendship emerges as an even more important theme at the front.

In Chapters 10 and 11 we see men helping wounded comrades at great

personal risk- or even, like Lieutenant Bertinck, dying for their

friends. The handing on of Kemmerich's fine yellow leather boots

also acts as a symbol of friendship- a symbol we can almost touch, and

one that keeps us aware of how deeply a soldier feels the loss of each

of his special friends. We can understand how hearing the voices of

friends when one is lost (Chapter 9) or even just hearing their

breathing during the night (Chapter 11) can keep a soldier going. We

grieve with Paul and almost put down the book when Kat dies.

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4. A GENERATION DESTROYED BY WORLD WAR I

Taking all of the themes together and adding Paul and his friends'

hopeless discussions of what is left for them to do after the war

(Chapter 5), we can conclude that Remarque succeeds in his main theme:

showing that Paul's generation was destroyed by the Great War, as

World War I was then called.

STYLE

STYLE AND STRUCTURE (RALLSTYL)

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All Quiet on the Western Front is, on the whole, a very serious

and even a grim novel. Remarque presents his message through vivid

description and imagery. The tone is not overwhelmingly bitter.

Two things stand out in Remarque's style: his vivid word pictures

and the way he balances contrasting scenes against each other to

make each one stand out.

His descriptions bring every chapter to life, whether he is

showing us the glare of flares or the darkness beyond the trenches,

vicious rats or itchy lice, the steady drumlike beat of bombardment or

the piercing shrieks of shells and wounded. His descriptions also

include images of beauty and peace- usually in Paul's thoughts- that

make clear how awful the front actually is. He converts a pair of

boots, a goose, and the circle of light cast by campfires into symbols

of friendship. And he uses similes to show the brutality of war: the

men fight like thugs, like wild beasts. The tanks push relentlessly

forward like steel beasts squashing bugs.

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CH FAR FROM THE FRONT NEAR THE FRONT AT THE FRONT

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1 Recollections: Second Company,

school, Kantorek. down to 80 men,

well fed.

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2 Recollections: Kemmerich's death

Himmelstoss, in a field hospital.

basic training The boots.

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3 Reminiscences: Kat's skill at

Himmelstoss. foraging. Theories

of war.

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4 Barbed wire